It has only been a matter of hours since the online media brought news that Apple is intending to introduce a new dock connection setup with the release of the next-generation iPhone, likely to be introduced to the world in October of this year. Various outlets, including ourselves, have reported that Apple is intending to reduce space required for connections on the bottom of the new iPhone by doing away with the current 30-pin connection setup and introducing a new streamlined 19-pin connector port.

Thinking about it logically, the change makes perfect sense considering the company have recently been granted a patent that refers to the 19-pin connector port, and with the fruit company wanting to relocate the headphone socket to the bottom of the device, it frees up space for that to happen. The iPod touch has always had the 9mm headphone jack on the bottom of the device and it seems that this is the way Apple and consumers think it should be. However, there is always the bigger picture to consider, and although introducing a smaller dock connector does make sense, it also brings with it a whole host of issues for accessory suppliers and consumers who have forked out hard earned cash on expensive gadgets to compliment their iOS experience.

Considering Apple is pretty well known for breaking barriers and wanting to provide an exceptional customer service experience, it seems rather insane that they would make this change without any regard for their loyal patrons or any backup plan in place. Thankfully, reports are indicating that a fallback plan is indeed on the agenda with Apple planning on manufacturing and releasing an adapter that will allow the new 19-pin iPhone to be connected to existing accessories that are fitted with the current 30-pin connector port.

There isn’t a great deal of information available and we need to bear in mind that neither the move to the 19-pin connection nor the existence of an adapter has been confirmed officially, but if it is to happen, it will be interesting to see whether or not Apple will choose to include the adapter in the box with the new iPhone or sell it to punters as a totally separate product. It is also worth noting that if an adapter is made available, it is in no way a guarantee that the next-generation iPhone will be compatible with all existing accessories. I am sure at one point in time we have all seen the ‘this accessory is not compatible with this device’ warning, meaning that it isn’t an officially licensed third-party product and I am sure some accessories just won’t be up to the task.

Time will tell if either of these two reports come to fruition, but with Apple needing to free up some internal space for the inclusion of an LTE radio, it looks likely that Apple will take measures in doing so.